Integrative Symbiology

Integrative Symbiology

We use science as a way to extend human cognition and explore how life lives together. Living organisms cannot survive in isolation; they exist as “holobionts” together with diverse partners, including microorganisms. Soil is the stage for this symbiosis—a network of life where microbes, plants, animals, climate, and people all influence one another. By harnessing digital twins and data science, we visualize the complex relationships among soil, plants, and microbes and contribute to building a sustainable society for the future. We also culture microbes that inhabit soils and plants and explore how to use their power for agriculture and the environment. Our challenge is to view life as a holobiont and to seek ways of living flexibly with nature.
dbtl 1
1. Digitalization

1. Ecosystem Digitalization

Multi-omics analysis of agricultural ecosystems such as carbon farming and traditional Japanese farming.
  • Multi-omics analysis
  • Agroecosystems
  • Carbon farming
dbtl 2
2. Build

2. Hypothesis Building with Data Science

Analyzing control mechanisms in multi-layered systems using causal discovery.
Developing causal discovery methods using quantum computing.
  • Bioinformatics
  • Causal machine learning
  • Quantum computing
dbtl 3
3. Test

3. Experimental Validation of Hypotheses

Intervention experiments through microbial inoculation, environmental metabolite treatments,
and plant genetics.
Expanding a collection of beneficial symbiotic microbes.
  • Intervention experiments
  • Symbiotic microbial resources
  • Microdroplet technology
dbtl 4
4. Learn

4. Reconstructing Knowledge in the Digital Space

Building digital twins that integrate knowledge across multiple research domains.
Autonomous large-scale data acquisition through industry–academia collaboration.
  • Digital twins
  • Autonomous large-scale
    data acquisition
dbtl 5
5. Engineering

5. Ecosystem Engineering

By running digital twins developed through the DBTL cycle on high-performance hybrid quantum–classical computing, we can reproduce ecosystem behavior in real time in a virtual space. Through such ecosystem engineering, we aim to open up a new interdisciplinary research field—integrative symbiology—that approaches the essence of “life.”
  • Parallel cybernetic experiments transcending space and time